From bras and coffee to soy and sugar, social media is full of claims about what supposedly causes breast cancer. But according to cancer surgeon Dr Christine Lai, many of these widely shared beliefs are myths that only fuel unnecessary fear. In a July 31 Instagram post, she debunked eight common misconceptions about breast cancer, citing evidence-backed information from Cancer Australia and urging women not to let misinformation drive anxiety. (Also read: Why more young adults are being diagnosed with colon cancer: Oncologist Dr Ravi K Gupta shares risk factors and symptoms )
According to Dr Lai, here are eight common breast cancer myths:
Myth 1: Wearing a bra causes breast cancer
“I won’t let her blame her bra. Underwire, sleeping in it, wearing it all day, none of it causes breast cancer,” wrote Dr Lai, adding that Cancer Australia lists bras among factors unlikely to affect risk.
Myth 2: Coffee causes breast cancer
Dr Lai said women should not quit coffee out of fear. “Caffeine can make some women’s breasts feel tender or lumpy, but tender is almost always hormones, not cancer,” she explained.
Myth 3: Sugar feeds cancer
“I won’t let her be afraid of carbs and sugar. Sugar doesn’t feed cancer the way the internet claims,” Dr Lai wrote. She added that every cell in the body runs on glucose, so avoiding sugar cannot starve a tumour without affecting healthy cells too.
Myth 4: Soy increases breast cancer risk
Dr Lai said women should not fear soy foods like tofu, edamame and soy milk. “The evidence doesn’t support the soy scare, and some studies point the other way,” she wrote, explaining that plant oestrogens in soy do not act like the body’s own oestrogen, estradiol.
Myth 5: Breast size affects your risk
“I won’t let her think breast size sets her risk. Bigger or smaller changes nothing about her baseline risk,” said Dr Lai.
Myth 6: A bruise or injury causes breast cancer
Dr Lai said a seatbelt injury, fall or bump may leave a temporary lump while healing, but trauma to the breast does not cause cancer, and is listed by Cancer Australia among factors unlikely to affect risk.
Myth 7: Miscarriage increases breast cancer risk
“I won’t let her believe a miscarriage causes breast cancer,” Dr Lai wrote, citing Cancer Australia and evidence from a pooled analysis involving more than 83,000 women across 16 countries showing no increased risk.
Myth 8: IVF causes breast cancer
According to Dr Lai, “Fertility treatment runs on hormones but the evidence doesn’t show an increased risk,” reassuring women undergoing IVF.
Concluding her post, Dr Lai wrote, “My whole goal here is to take fear off women, not pile it on. Not everything you’ve heard is true and fear has never prevented a single cancer.” She encouraged women to rely on evidence-based medical information rather than social media myths.
Dr Christine Lai is a general surgeon with subspecialty training in breast and endocrine surgery. A graduate of the University of Adelaide, she was awarded Fellowship in General Surgery in 2005 and completed advanced training in breast and endocrine surgery at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Adelaide and The St George Hospital in Sydney between 2005 and 2007.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
